Pakistani policemen inspect the site of a bomb blast in Peshawar. PHOTO: AFP
PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber killed at least eight people and wounded 45 others when he rammed his motorcycle into a bus on University road near Azam Tower in Peshawar on Monday, police said.
The attack targeted a senior official in the city administration, Sahibzada Anees, who passed by shortly before the blast in the Jehangir Abad neighbourhood.
"At least eight people were killed and 45 others were wounded in the suicide bombing," police official Mohammad Faisal told AFP.
Hospital officials confirmed the updated death toll.
"The commissioner, who passed just a minute before from the road, was the target of the bombing, but he escaped unhurt as the bomber missed the target and struck his motorcycle into a passenger bus," Faisal said.
Body parts of the suicide bomber were also found at the blast site, he added.
Bomb disposal officials said the explosives weighed up to six kilograms (13 pounds).
The road, where the blast took place, is one of the busiest roads in Peshawar. Nearby cars were damaged and passengers were affected by the blast.
The injured were shifted to the Khyber Teaching hospital where an emergency was declared. An emergency was also declared at two other hospitals in the city.
Seperately, a bomb went off outside the election office of independent candidate Nasir Khan Afridi in the Maqsoodabad area of Peshawar, killing three people and wounding more than 19, on Sunday.
Violence has spiked in the nuclear-armed country ahead of national elections on May 11 with at least 56 people killed in attacks targeting politicians and political parties since April 11, according to an AFP tally.
COMMENTS (19)
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Country's three majore parties are in contact and meetings eachother. result is expected in coming days.in regard to the recet taliban's attacks on the specifice political parties..
We should admitt the fact that M.Q.M. has hold in Karachi,that is ecnomic hub of Pakistan,if this party by the reason bycott the upcoming election elections may be fruitless.
Pakistan National Awami Party has roots in the province its bycott may creat tremendous support to the cause of separatists already involved in uprising.
So its dire need of the time Care taker take this matter seriously otherwise peaceful transfer of power will be impossible to some extent.
What they gain in respone/ death and destruction.
Playing with life of innocent people, is nodoubt is open violation of fundamental principle of Islam.
commissioner, who passed just a minute before from the road, was the target of the bombing, but he escaped unhurt as the bomber missed the target and struck his motorcycle into a passenger bus
Allah the Almighty, have command on everything set exact time of all things He saved commissioner who was on right side, and gave death suicide attacker who was on wrong side.
It is sad that hundreds of people have been killed by terrorists all over Pakistan in just the last week. Our condolences go out to the families of all who died at the hands of these terrorists. The TTP has been targeting election offices, rallies, and candidates who are contesting the upcoming elections and in the process killing many innocent people. It seems the whole purpose is to discourage people from participating in the election through fear and intimidation. After years Pakistanis are going to transition from on elected government to another. They would not let intimidation of the cowards deter their resolve to keep Pakistan on path of progress with an elected democratic government.
Abdul Quddus DET-United States Central Command
the attack of today,is different of those attacks happened in karachi,where in targeted election offices and corner meeting including candidates belonged to secure parties.
It is different absolutely different,it did not appear to target a specific party.
But the amid behind the scene to foster a broder climate of fear and teror during the election campaign.
The upcoming elections going to held in may,11,would be the first time in the history of the country that a civilian government has complet its tenure serving a full time democratically and passed on the political leadership to a new civilian administration.
@ Truth_Prevails Not only the election candidates are targeted but the Presiding Officers and other polling staff are receiving threatening letters from the TTP in KPK. In this extremely grim scenario you still want to kill hundred of voters and election staff on the polling day merely to fill the Parliament with TTP supporters!!!!.
@SKChadha: There is a blast almost everyday in Pakistan killing innocent people. Whether it happened yesterday or today makes no sense. What is important is that it is happening almost daily.
Is it yesterday's news story or today's .... ?
why the president is not resigning? why the government is not admitting their failure. I love my Pakistan and I will vote for a change.
@Truth_Prevails A Soul 'Full of Hope' during hopeless times
"nuclear-armed country"
What is the purpose of the journalists to harp over the "Nuclear Arm" (NA) of the country. If Pakistan did not have the NA, would there be more (or less) terrorism??
This NA has not made the lives of Pakistanis any better nor has made the politicians less corrupt. It is simply a threatening (symbolic) weapon in the hand of the Army.
There is no point in talking to these savages/taliban! PTI and other PMLN should univocally condemn the taliban and their proxies.
Such terror incidents are precisely the reason we should not elect PPP, ANP and MQM again. While they were in government they failed to take any action against TTP on the pretext of popular opinion.
U cant aspect security from gov when it is nt able to provide the same to its prisoner
@Mirza: You being of Pakistani origin, have a question to ask you:
There are now almost 5 bombs going off everyday; how many more will it take to get some reaction from the population ?
If I remember correctly, a third-rate video managed to bring half of Pakistan out on the street.
These explosions happening all over the place are a nation wide insurgency. If the army becomes involved it will exacerbate the tensions that could lead to a Civil War that may break up the country into many pieces. We can thank Gen Zia and Musharraf for laying the seeds for this crisis.
Yet some want to bring TTP and other terrorists friends and guarantors in power. These terrorists have successfully hijacked the elections for their mentors. I would vote for the victims of terrorists any day and not for their friends and favorites.